The Set Up
by foxracer189
Summary: Olivia was ready to get back out on the market. When she indicated to Barba that she wants to start dating again, she's talking about dating him. But he' doesn't get the hint so he sets her up with his friend Tony. Will Benson stay with Tony or will she be with Barba? RATING FOR FURTHER ALONG IN THE STORY.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N I want to start off by saying thank you to everyone who has read my previous stories. You guys are awesome! Also, I wanted to say that I don't own anything from Law and Order except for a new character I'm putting in "Tony". I hope you guys enjoy(:**

Chapter 1

The look on Rafael Barba's face was almost priceless when he saw a couple almost having sex right there in the middle of the bar. Olivia choked on her drink at the look of absolute disgust on his face.

"You alright there, Barba?" Barba shook his head in disapproval.

"Absolutely not, do you see them," he nodded his head toward the couple, "that's just vile." Olivia laughed, she found Barba amusing when he was either really pissed off or disgusted.

"Young love," she stated the obvious.

"I don't care if it's young love, middle-aged love, or old love. It's vulgar and should be illegal."

"So what, you've never been in love?" _As a matter of fact, yes, Rafael Barba had been and is in love. With Yelena at a very young age, but that love story ended quite badly. And now with her, of course he wasn't going to tell her that, he wouldn't put his friendship at stake with her or even Noah, whom he had grown very close to._

"Yeah, I've been in love. With scotch and Netflix."

"Oh ha-ha very funny, I meant with a person." He hesitated then shook his head.

"Not really, have you?" Olivia also hesitated, of course she was in love. With Barba that is. But she would never tell him that in fear he didn't feel the same way or that their relationship would be ruined.

"No, I can't even get a guy to stay with me for over a year." Barba took another sip of his scotch.

"It's ok, at least your ex-girlfriend didn't leave you for your best friend."

"Ouch, Barba. That hurt." He laughed at her statement.

"Yeah well how do you think I felt?" Olivia gave him, "you got a point" face.

"I miss being in a relationship," she stated, "just having another person there to hold you and comfort you. It was just nice."

"God, you sound like my friend Tony."

"Who?"

"Tony, he's been a good friend when I was back in college. We still talk every once in a while." Liv was intrigued by this "Tony" guy. Maybe since she couldn't have Barba, she could have one of his friends.

"Why haven't you introduced me to this guy?" Barba smirked.

"Why would I? He's definitely not your type."

"How exactly do you know what my 'type' is counsellor?"

"Because I've seen the men you've been with before. This kid is scrawny, awkward, and really inappropriate sometimes." He was right. This kid was definitely not her type but she was willing to take it on anyway.

"I'm down for a challenge," Liv chuckled.

"Alright, whatever you say." Rafael was a little hurt by this. _Why didn't he just man up and ask her when he had the chance? Now she's going to date Tony and realize he's not half bad and stay with him. Oh well, at least she'll be happy._ "Come over by my place tonight. I was going to have him and a couple others over for our Friday night gaming session."

"Gaming," Liv was thrown back like this, "you don't play videogames, Rafael."

"Oh yes Liv, I do. It's a great stress reliever and it's actually pretty fun kicking the shit out of Tony at Mortal Kombat." _Oh great, Tony's a gamer too._

"Alright, Barba. I'll see you later then.

 **Barba's apartment: 7:00 PM**

Olivia wondered what the hell she was doing standing outside Barba's door. She had no idea what she was getting herself into. She heard yelling and laughing coming from inside and that's when she knew she was being completely dense. But she didn't want to let Tony down. Surely Barba had told him about her already. What's the worst that could happen? She knocked on the door and waited for an answer, she had half the mind of turning right back around and leaving.

"Liv, great to see you," Rafael pulled her away from the thought of leaving and gave her a quick and really awkward hug, "come in, come in." She followed him to his living room where four other guys sat, two on the couch and two on the floor, all of them holding Xbox controllers. "Guys, this is Olivia Benson." She wondered which one was Tony. They all stood up to shake her hand, all saying their names. The last guy to introduce himself was in fact Tony.

 _Holy shit, he's attractive. He's not at all scrawny and he's not awkward either. His brown hair compliments his blue eyes. He was tall but not too tall, she didn't have to crane her neck to talk to him. He was, perfect; but not Barba perfect._ She blushed as she shook his hand.

"You two talk, I'm going to take your spot, Tony." Tony nodded his head and handed Rafael the controller.

"Sorry about this, it's actually Mike's idea." He pointed out the blonde haired behemoth sitting on the couch. He could be a body builder.

"It's no big deal," she smiled, "boys will be boys." He laughed and sat down at the kitchen table and talked to her like it was nothing. He wasn't nervous; if he was he was great at hiding it. He wasn't awkward like Barba portrayed him to be and he was kind. Olivia was glad she didn't turn around and leave. She was actually having fun for once in her life.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Olivia and Tony sat for hours just talking with such ease. There was nothing awkward about their conversation and he was the absolute opposite of inappropriate, like Barba had indicated before. Barba would look out to the kitchen every once in a while to see them laughing and smiling at each other. He couldn't help but feel the cold stab of jealousy every time he did. Of course he played it off well, making it seem like it didn't bother him but deep down, it killed him.

"So that's enough about my boring life," Oliva stated. Tony rolled his eyes in response.

"Your boring life? You know what I do for a living? I sit in board meetings all day and 'learn' how to make the real estate business better. At least you do something for the good of the city," Olivia laughs and shakes her head.

"It's not all rainbows and butterflies once you're in there for so long."

"I don't doubt you on that one."

Barba's had enough heartache for the night, he turns off the Xbox and tells his friends that they need to go because he as an "early day" tomorrow. When in reality, he can't stand the sight of Olivia actually connecting with Tony.

 _Why didn't he just ask her out when he had the chance? Why did he have to be so daunted by the fact that he was in love with Olivia. Sure he didn't want to lose her as a friend but he was willing to do whatever it took to make their relationship work. He bonded with Noah very well, he grown to even love the boy. He knew Olivia wanted someone who could bond with Noah too but nobody was as good as Barba._

"Cutting the party short, Barba?" Olivia stood up and grabbed her coat.

"Very early day tomorrow, Benson. You know that." His tone with her was cold. She studied him for a minute to figure out exactly why. Did she do something wrong?

"Thanks for having me, I actually enjoyed tonight," Olivia started to walk out of the apartment.

"Wait, Liv," Tony called after her, "I'll walk you out." She nodded, smiled and waited for Tony to grab his things.

"Thanks, Rafael. For introducing me to her. There's something about her, I don't know what it is." Rafael gave him a tight smile and nodded.

"Sure," was all he could manage to say. Tony then wondered as well if he did something to piss him off. But he thought better to ask him if there was a problem. Instead, he grabbed his coat and headed for the door, closing it behind him.

Rafael couldn't contain the anger he felt, the rage that he saw when Oliva and Tony walked out together. It was like someone was punching him in the face over and over again. But he could only blame himself for not growing the balls to ask her himself. He drank one more glass of scotch before heading to bed.

Tony and Oliva walked toward Olivia's car in silence. They talked so much at Rafael's they didn't know what else to say. It wasn't awkward though, they enjoyed each other's company although they had just met. But something still plagued Oliva's head.

 _Barba had been kind of cold to her before she left. What was his deal? He was fine, even happy when she first showed up at his place. He even gave her a hug which was not like Barba what so ever. Although she couldn't have him romantically, she still wanted to be friends with him. Noah adored him and she would be heartbroken if they didn't hang out anymore. Noah wouldn't be the only one heartbroken…_

"I want to see you again, Liv," Tony said as they arrived at her car. Olivia couldn't help but smile, of course she wanted to see Tony again. This was the first non-awkward date she's ever had.

"That would be great."

"What's your number? I'll call you."

"Asking for my number on the first day, Tony you dog," she joked. He pulled out his phone and recorded her number in his contacts list.

"So there's going to be a second date?" She could sense the nervousness in his voice.

"Yes, there will be a second date." Tony's eyes light up like Christmas morning.

"I gotta get home, my son's babysitter is probably waiting for me."

"You have a son?" This was the first Tony's heard about this.

"Yeah, well, adoptive son. I treat him and love him as if he was my own blood though."

"That's great to hear, Liv, really. Maybe we could meet sometime?"

"I'd like that very much." They said their goodbyes and went their separate ways. Olivia couldn't help but think about Rafael. Wondering if he was ok, she reached for her phone and dialed his number. It took a few rings but he finally answered, slurring his words.

"Barba," he said coldly.

"It's Liv. Is everything alright with you? You seemed a bit moody before I left."

"Everything is just great, Liv. I'm glad you got to meet Tony. He's a good guy."

"Yeah, we're not talking about Tony right now. We're talking about you."

"Like I said, Liv, I'm fine. Are you driving?"

"Guilty," Liv chuckled.

"Get off the phone, now. I don't need you to be getting in an accident."

"Alright, alright. I'll talk to you tomorrow then?"

"Yes," he said coldly then hung up.

 _Ok there's definitely something up with Barba. What was his deal? Maybe he's just had a long day or maybe he's just in one of his moods. Liv didn't know but she hoped that tomorrow would be a better day for him._

Liv opened the door to her apartment and saw Lucy sitting on the couch watching TV. She set her keys on the table and walked into the living room.

"I'm really sorry about this, Lucy. I meant to leave earlier but…"

"Liv, don't worry about it. Noah and I had a good time, he's fast asleep now."

"Thank you so much. I do appreciate this a lot."

"Anytime, Liv. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Sounds good." As Lucy left, Liv went into her son's room to find him fast asleep. Slowly breathing in and out looking more innocent than he actually was. She just stared at Noah for a while, thinking about what it would be like if Barba was here with her to cherish this moment. To go to sleep with her or to wake up with her and go to work together. She caught herself thinking about this and wondered why she was thinking of Barba so much instead of Tony. He was a great guy and all, but she thought Barba was better.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N. Thank you guys so much for reading this! Also, don't be afraid to review! Good or bad, it really helps with making the story better!**

Chapter 3

The precinct was basically dead when Olivia walked through the door. Coffee in her left hand and croissant in her right, she sat down and did the whopping four pages of paper work that sat on her desk. Amaro, his desk next to hers, couldn't help but notice something different about her. He couldn't quite put his finger on it…yet. But the sound of Liv's ringing phone pulled him away from his thoughts and her away from the dreaded paper work.

"Benson," she answered not knowing who it was.

"Liv, its Tony," she tried to conceal the smile that was protruding from her lips.

"Tony, what's up?" Nick heard a man's name come from her mouth and immediately stared eavesdropping.

"Is now a bad time? I was going to call later but I couldn't wait any longer."

"No, it's pretty slow here, now's perfect."

"Good, I was wondering if you wanted to meet me for lunch. There's a place a few blocks away from the precinct I know."

"That sounds great. I'll meet you around noon?"

"Perfect. It's called Defonte's. It's Italian, not exactly sure if you like Italian food."

"Who doesn't?" They talked only for a moment or so but then they said their goodbyes and hung up. Nick who was just itching to ask who she was talking to, finally couldn't hold it in any longer.

"Who's Tony?" Nick was still staring at his computer screen.

"Tony, is Barba's friend I've been seeing. Well not really been but we met last night and now he's offering to take me to lunch."

"Ah," was all he said. Liv thought nothing of Amaro's short comment and continued to do her paper work before she left for lunch.

 **Defonte's Italian Restaurant: 12:00 PM**

Liv walked in the front doors and was immediately greeted by the smell of Italian desserts. Cannoli's, biscotti's, and cakes. She saw Tony siting in the corner and waved for her to come over. She sat her purse down and took a seat.

"Hey, you look great," Tony was obviously nervous.

"Just my work clothes," Liv laughed. The waitress came over and said something to Liv in Italian. Liv not knowing what she said just nodded her head 'yes'.

"She asked what you wanted to drink," Tony snickered.

"Oh, just a water."

"No, no you have to try the maraschino, it's to die for. Not literally but you get the gist."

"Alcohol at noon?"

"It's five o'clock somewhere," Tony retaliated. Liv laughed and agreed. "E prendo un maraschino per favore." Liv was in absolute shock, she had no idea this man could speak Italian.

"E per Lei?" The waitress directed toward him.

"Lo stesso, per favore. Grazie." She walked away with their orders and gave them time to look at the menu. Tony noticed the look on Liv's face. "What?"

"You never told me you could speak Italian," she laughed.

"Oh, yeah. I miei genitori siamo di Venezia. My parents were from Venice and they spoke nothing but Italian. I eventually learned English when I was eight because of my friends. I still speak Italian a lot though."

"That's really cool. I've always wanted to learn Italian. Maybe you could teach me sometime?"

"It would be my pleasure."

They ate and talked for a while, learning new things about each other. Although Liv was talking to Tony she couldn't help but think about Rafael. How much they acted alike, how much they were alike. They were both from foreign countries, both had abusive pasts, and both were very attractive. But why was she still thinking about Rafael when she was on a legitimate date with Tony was beyond her. But alas, the ringing of Liv's phone pulled them out of their delightful conversation.

"Benson," she answered again not knowing who it was.  
"Where the fuck are you?" She heard Barba's bitter voice on the other end, "we had a meeting today at one o'clock and you knew that."

"I'm so sorry, Barba, Tony took me out for lunch." Barba's heart dropped at the sound of Tony's

name coming out of her mouth

"Oh, that's great. Just get here, now." He hung up and Liv looked at her phone in shock.

"What was that all about?" Tony asked.

"I forgot all about the meeting I had with Barba today. I'm sorry I have to cut this short but I have to go or he'll have my head." She started rummaging around her purse to find money but felt Tony's hand on her stopping it.

"I got this. Don't worry about it, go meet Barba before he kills you." Liv was very appreciative that Tony paid for her but she needed to go.

"Thank you, Tony. Call me later?"

"Of course," he pulled out his wallet and paid the bill while Liv walked out the door.

Boy she was in trouble this time. She did completely forget about that meeting, even though Rafael has been reminding her for days now. She felt bad for Tony, she wished she could've stayed longer but with Barba's temper, she knew she couldn't. She really hoped Barba was in a better mood when she got there, but she could only hope. 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

 **ADA Rafael Barba's Office: 1:30 PM**

Oliva burst through the door, worry on her face as Nick, Amanda, and Barba himself turned to look at her; Barba looking very annoyed. Liv didn't pay attention to his look and sat down on the leather couch in his office.

"Does anyone here want to brief Olivia?" Barba stated without looking up from the papers he held in his hands. Everyone just looked around waiting for one another to say something. "Not everyone at once." He said more irritatingly than intended.

"Sasha, the rape victim, backed out," Nick started.

"She says 'it was consensual," Amanda continued his statement, "I'm betting someone either bribed or blackmailed her to back out."

"That's ridiculous, we had a solid case," Oliva was annoyed by the fact that she had worked so hard on this case just for the victim to back out.

"We need to get her to testify, otherwise this man is going to go out and do the same thing or worse," Barba sat the pile of papers on his desk and crossed his arms, "Amaro and Rollins, you need to talk to her and put some sense back into her." They both nodded but looked at Oliva for approval since she was their sergeant. She nodded her head and told them to go and talk to the girl. They walked out of the room without argument.

"What's been going on with you," Liv couldn't help but notice his attitude toward her lately and she didn't like it.

"What are you talking about? I'm doing my job."

"Rafael we both know you've been acting cold towards me. Can I have a reason?"

"This is my job, Oliva, not a 'let's all be friends' club."

"You're my best friend, Rafi," testing his nickname but nothing came of it, "Noah misses you and hell I miss you. Being around made us feel…well..better. Whether it would be you coming over and watching Frozen with us or going over cases, that was the highlight of my week." Trying to hold back tears, she bit her lip and looked away from him.

"Look, I'm sorry if I've been distant. I just…" he trailed off. _What exactly was he supposed to tell her? Sorry I've been jealous that you're dating someone other than me? Sorry I'm jealous that you're into my friend instead of me? No he wasn't going to lay his feelings out on the table. She obviously liked Tony a lot and he wasn't going to ruin her chances of happiness._

"You're what?"

"I'm just tired. I haven't been getting much sleep," which wasn't entirely a lie.

"Come over this weekend, Rafael. Noah has been itching to have a play date with you." _Was it him itching to have a date with him or was it her? She didn't know, but all she did know was that she missed Rafael's company, whether it was at the office or at her apartment she missed him. Very much._

"You don't have plans with Tony?"

"No, he's going out of town with Mike to Atlantic City."

"Nice of them to invite me." Rafael said coldly.

"It doesn't matter, you're coming over and hanging out with Noah and I."

"Are you always this bossy sergeant Benson?" He managed to crack a smile.

"Always, Rafael." She smiled back at him. They talked for a while, just caught up. She told him about her date with Tony, which he was very reluctant to hear but he listened anyway. He told her about his sleepless nights and how he stayed up watching a new TV series on Netflix and how she should check it out. But the conversation was cut short by a call from Amaro. "Sorry, It's Nick, I gotta take this." She walked out of his office and put her phone up to her ear.

"Good news, Liv. After what seemed like forever trying to convince her, she finally agreed to testify."

"That's great, Nick. Good job." They didn't say much after that but once she hung up, she had another call from Tony.

"Hey you, what's up?" She answered.

"Not much, I was wondering, since I'm going to be out of town this weekend, maybe I could meet Noah tonight?" _This was all moving a little fast for Olivia. She didn't even have five dates with the guy and he already wanted to meet her son. But what hurt could it do. If she was serious about this then she needed to let him be around Noah._

"Tonight sounds good, what time are you thinking? He usually goes to bed around nine."

"Maybe six? I know you don't get off till five but I wanted to see you a little since I won't be able to for a couple days." She was still skeptical about the whole thing but reluctantly agreed.

 **Olivia's Apartment: 5:30 PM**

Olivia rushed around her apartment, attempting to pick the mess tornado Noah made during the day. He wasn't being much of a help, since every time she picked something up, he threw another one of his toys right back down.

"Noah, please. Mommy's trying to clean up for someone." Noah looked confused but didn't care what so ever. He was having fun making the apartment a mess. The knock on the door pulled her out of her cleaning mode. She answered it and there stood Tony, holding a toy car which she assumed was for Noah. "You're early," she laughed.

"Only by fifteen minutes, Liv." She stood aside as he walked into her train wreck of an apartment.

"I'm sorry about the mess. Noah decided today was the day he'd make a mess."

"Don't worry about it. Really, you should see my apartment." This made Liv worried. Hopefully he wasn't as much of a slob as her two year old son.

"He's in the living room watching TV," she guided him to where Noah sat, eyes glued to the television. "Noah, this is Tony. This is mommy's friend." He looked up at him with uncertainty in his eyes. He looked back at Oliva and held out his arms to be picked up. "He's a little shy…"

"Ony?" He couldn't pronounce his name. Tony smiled at his new nickname. Liv laughed and nodded her head.

"Yeah, that's Tony," she pointed at him. Tony waved with one hand, another hand behind his back. Noah peeked around, trying to see what it was.

"What're lookin for buddy?" Tony joked then pulled out the toy car he brought for him. Noah's eyes lit up like Christmas. He immediately reached out and grabbed it.

"What do you say to Tony, Noah?"

"Fanks." He was still uncertain about this strange man he knew as 'Mommy's friend' but he knew he had toys so he didn't care. She sat him down and he played with his new car.

"You didn't have to do that, you know."

"I'm going to tell you a secret, Liv. When I was a boy, I used to play with toy cars for hours, I know what it's like to be a kid and have a new toy car." He laughed.

He sat and played with Noah for hours, Noah was getting used to Tony which made Liv feel relieved. Bu then Noah said something that made Liv and Tony feel pretty uncomfortable.

"Mommy, Raf come over?" Liv blushed and smiled at her son.

"Not tonight buddy. Tony's here." Tony looked questionably at Liv.

"Is Raf his friend?" He asked.

"No, it's what he calls Rafael," she said awkwardly. Tony went back to playing with Noah, pretending he didn't hear that.

It was around nine o'clock when Noah started to get sleepy. They all sat on the couch watching, for the hundredth time, Frozen. Although Noah couldn't get enough of that movie, he passed out in his mother's lap.

"I'm going to put him to bed," Liv said quietly. Tony nodded as she put the sleeping child to bed. When she came back out, Tony looked like he was about to fall asleep as well. She walked over and put a hand on his leg. "Why don't you get some sleep, you look exhausted."

"I guess it is my bed time," he joked. He got up from the couch and grabbed his jacket. Liv walked him to the door and the next thing she knew, his lip were on hers. She didn't back away, though, but kissed him back. It was awkward at first; he was obviously very nervous. His hands fell to her hips and hers fingered through his hair. It didn't last as long as he wanted it to though. She pulled away and looked in his eyes.

"I should probably get some sleep. I have an early day tomorrow." Tony nodded, wondering if he just screwed everything up.

"I understand," he leaned in and gave her a quick kiss before leaving the apartment, shutting the door behind him. Liv didn't know what it was but that kiss was nothing like she expected it to be. She felt like it would've been so much more but it wasn't. It was moderate, not fantastic like she wanted it to be. Maybe he really wasn't the right guy for her, she knew who she wanted.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

 **Friday: 7:00 AM**

The next morning, Olivia was still perplexed on what happened the night before. Of course she wanted to give Tony a shot, however, she felt as if she made a mistake. She liked him, she wanted to make things work with him, and she wanted Noah to feel comfortable around him but all those things went downhill. She realized that Noah took to Barba more quickly and easily than Tony, maybe that was a sign. Or maybe she was overthinking the whole thing. But then there was the kiss. The kiss was nothing like she expected it to be, it was awkward and sloppy and frankly she didn't care for it. In fact, she never wanted to do that again.

The sound of her phone ringing pulled her out of her deep thoughts with herself. She saw that it was Tony and left it go to voicemail, she found she didn't want to talk to anybody right now. He left a message, should she listen to it? What hurt could it do?

"Hey, Liv, it's me," she heard his voice on the other end, "I just wanted to apologize for last night. I was a nervous wreck. You're probably sleeping or at work, not sure which one but give me a call back, bye." She didn't know what to think, she didn't know what to do. She hoped that things would clear up tomorrow when Barba comes over to hang out.

She looked at her clock which read seven thirty. "Shit," she thought. If she sat and thought about this any longer she'd be late for work. She instantaneously got up and started to get her and Noah ready for the day. He wasn't being very cooperative though, he threw a fit when she tried to get him dressed.

Thankfully, Lucy walked through the door to pick him up.

"Oh thank God, you're here." Liv was obviously frazzled.

"What's up, Liv? You look tense."

"Noah won't cooperate and I'm already late for work."

"Don't worry about it," she said as she took his clothes from her," I got this, you go and have a good day." Liv was so appreciative of Lucy, she took so much stress off Liv and she was also great with Noah.

"Thank you so much, Lucy. You're the best." Lucy gave her a smile and continued to get Noah ready.

Liv walked into another dead day at the office. Nick was half asleep at his desk while Rollins and Fin were talking about their plans for the weekend. Today was the day the rape victim, Sasha was going to testify and Liv had to make her appearance.

"You nervous, Liv?" Nick opened his eyes to see Liv sitting next to him in a daze.

"Not at all, why do you ask?"

"Well you just seem, out of it."

"Nick I'm going to tell you something that you can't repeat." Nick thought something bad happened, after what happened with Lewis, he was worried about her, worried that she would have to go through the same hell that she went through with that guy. His eyes were opened wide and ears even more open. "Remember Tony, the guy I've been seeing." Nick gave a sigh of relief.

"Yes, I do."

"I don't think it's going to work out."

"So why can't I repeat this?"

"Because, Nick. We kissed and it was, awful." Nick laughed, he never thought that she would actually call a kiss awful.

"So now what? Did he meet Noah?"

"Yeah and Noah was distant with him. I figured he would be but after a few hours with him he was still distant. But with a few hours with Barba, he was the happiest I've seen him."

"You mean the asshole ADA? That guy?"

"Nick he's not an asshole. He's actually really sweet once you get to know him." Nick gave her a look of confusion. He knew Rafael Barba as the guy who couldn't keep his mouth shut but when he heard Noah actually liked the guy, he looked at the whole thing in a different perspective.

They made their way to the courthouse as scheduled. They hearing took longer than expected but when it was over, Barba had won the case, as usual. He packed up his briefcase and walked out of the courtroom, Liv and Fin by his side.

"Well done, counsellor. I'm proud of you," Liv joked.

"You sound like my mother." He retaliated.

"You're still coming over tomorrow? Noah hasn't stopped talking about it since I told him."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." Barba was happy someone actually missed him. He enjoyed spending time with Noah, but what he enjoyed just a little bit more was spending time with Olivia. Ever since she's been dating Tony, he hasn't had a chance to. Not that he hasn't had the time but it would just be awkward if he showed up at her apartment with Tony sitting there. He was sure they were doing ok, though. Tony really was a good guy and he knew Tony wouldn't hurt her. But what he didn't know was that Olivia was planning on breaking things off with Tony. She tried to like him, tried to make things work but she just couldn't. She felt bad for Tony, he didn't necessarily do anything wrong, it was just Liv had someone else in mind.

 **A/N I know this was a shorter chapter but college isn't the easiest thing in the world! Thank you guys so much for all your comments on the story! Next chapter will be Barba finally going over to Liv's place! Hope you guys are enjoying it so far!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N I know I usually update once every day but I just couldn't wait any longer, so here you guys go!(:**

Chapter 6

S **aturday: 8:00 AM**

Olivia woke up to the sound of her son wailing in the room across from hers. Thinking something was wrong, she immediately jumped out of bed to aid Noah. When she got there, his face was beet red and covered in tears but nothing seemed to be injured. She picked up her son and rocked him until he could calm down.  
"What happened baby?" She tried to soothe him as best as she could be he was still stuttering his words from crying.

"Bad fream," was all he could manage to say. She tried to get him to calm down but nothing seemed to work, but then she had an idea.

"Hey, guess who's coming over to hang out today." He instantly stopped crying and looked up at his mommy with an excited expression on his face.

"Raf!" She laughed at his excitement and nodded her head. "Raf come over mommy?"

"Yeah baby, Raf is coming over soon."

"Mommy call Raf?" Well what hurt could it do? She sat down in the rocking chair, Noah on her lap and dialed Rafael's number. It didn't take very long for him to answer.

"Hey, Liv. I'm almost ready, if now is a good time."

"Now is great. Noah wants to talk to you." Rafael laughed and told her to put him on.

"Raf come over?" Noah asked him.

"Yeah, buddy, I'm about ready. Are you ready?"

"Yeah!" He basically yelled through the phone.

"Alright, I'll be there as soon as I can, ok?  
"Ok, Raf, see soon."

"Put mommy back on," Liv couldn't hide her smile.

"Someone's excited to see you, Barba," was she talking about Noah or her?

"Yeah, I'm excited too" was he talking about Noah or him? Or both? "I'm getting in my car now, I'll see you soon."

"See you soon," they hung up while Liv got Noah out of his pajamas and into his day clothes. She tried to clean up the house for him but thought better of it, since she already knew Noah's feelings about having a clean apartment.

It was about nine o'clock when she heard a knock at the door. Noah shot to the kitchen waiting for his mom to open the door. When she did, Rafael was greeted by Noah who held out his arms to be picked up. When he did, he gave him the biggest hug Liv's ever seen.

"Mommy, Raf here!"

"I know," she said as she pointed to him," he's right here." Rafael put the boy down and pulled Liv into a hug, which this time wasn't so awkward.

Noah and Rafael played like there was no tomorrow, Noah wasn't distant with him what so ever. He loved playing with Rafael and Rafael loved playing with him. It made him feel like a kid again, it gave him back the childhood he'd lost out on because of his father. Liv just sat and watched, wondering what it would be like if this were an everyday occurrence. She couldn't help but feel complete with these two boys in her life and she wasn't about to let that go.

It was around the same time every night Noah started to get tired, around nine o'clock on the dot. Noah sat in Rafael's lap playing with the blue polo shirt he had on and had his thumb in his mouth. Rafael looked down at the sleeping boy and said to Liv quietly, "I thought he stopped sucking his thumb."

"I guess not," she laughed, "I'm going to put him to bed."

"No, sit down. I can do it." This is when she was absolutely certain she wanted this man in her life. He was so comfortable with putting Noah to bed and Noah didn't put up a fight. Liv sat as he carried the boy back to his room without making a sound. She was content, at ease with the fact that her son looks at Barba as a father figure. Which she realized he needs, and Barba was perfect to fit that role.

"He's out like a light," Barba pulled her out of her thoughts and she smiled, "maybe we could actually watch something other than Frozen," he joked.

"That sounds great," she gave him the remote to the TV, "you choose." He took it from her as he flipped through the queue on Netflix.

"I told you I was in love with Netflix," he said, remembering their conversation they had only a few days ago.

"Hey, I never said I doubted you. I just asked if you were in love with an actual person and not television." _This was it. This was his chance to finally tell her how he felt. Without the presence of Tony, and Noah sleeping in his room, he wouldn't have any interruptions. He needed to man up and tell her, if not now, when? When she's walking down the aisle about to marry Tony? What would he do, stand up and yell "Objection! Irrelevant"? No he would tell her right here and right now and by God if it messed up anything, he couldn't live with himself, but he needed her to know._

"Liv, I lied to you," she gave him a look of confusion. _Lied about what?_

"Rafael what…"

"Shh," he cut her off, "It's my turn to talk," _When is it ever anyone else's turn,_ she thought, "Liv I don't exactly know how I'm going to tell you this but I am in love with someone." _Oh God no. He's fallen for someone else, this broke Liv's heart. She couldn't bear to hear this conversation._ She tried to hold back tears by biting her lip.

"That's great, Rafael. I'm really happy…"

"SHH!" He cut her off again. God she hated when he did that. "If you think I'm in love with anyone but you, you're crazy," _what the hell did he just say?!_ "Ever since I asked if it was 'bring your daughters to work day' I've been head over heels for you. It was like love at first sight." Liv didn't know what to say, she was speechless. "I'm really sorry if this is weird for you to hear but I need you to hear it. But, Liv, when I set you up with Tony, I prayed and I prayed hard, you know I don't pray, but I did. I prayed that it wouldn't work out between you two. I know that's a dick move and I'm sorry for that but, Liv, seeing you with him was like somebody ripping out my heart and just dancing on it. It felt like someone was stabbing me and wouldn't stop. When I heard he was meeting Noah that was even worse. Just thinking about him liking Tony more than me, brought me to tears."

"Rafael I highly think that's impossible."

"Liv, I swear if you interrupt me one more time…" Liv shut her mouth, "You're the most beautiful, strong, loving, wonderful woman I've ever met. Words cannot describe my feelings for you, Oliva Benson. Meeting you was fate, becoming your friend was a choice, but falling in love with you was beyond my control." That was it. Liv felt tears forming in her eyes, this man, sitting right in front of her just made Oliva Benson cry. Not tears of sadness but tears of joy because she felt the same way and even stronger. "I just…"

"Shh," it was her turn to cut him off but no words came out of her mouth. She sat there and focused her eyes in his. The next thing she knew his lips were on hers. Now this was way different than Tony. The kiss was remarkable, it wasn't sloppy, it wasn't fast but it was slow and passionate. She waited for this moment since she met him and she didn't want this moment to end. He pulled her closer to his as she fingered through his hair. He ran his tongue along her lips demanding entrance which she granted instantaneously.

"What the fuck is this?" They broke off to see Tony standing in the room with a face full of fury.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

A **/N I'M SO SORRY FOR DELETING THE LAST CHAPTER BUT I MISSED SOMETHING IMPORTANT THAT I COMPLETLEY FORGOT TO PUT IN! HERES THE UPDATED VERSION (:**

Liv and Rafael sat in utter shock at what stood before them. Tony was staring back at them with the same expression on his face. But one question plagued at both Liv and Rafael's mind, _how the hell did he get in her apartment._ They were silent, just wondering what to say or what to do. _If she didn't like him why not just tell him instead of cheating on him?_

"How did you get in here," Liv was the first to break the ice.

"You gave me your code when I came to meet Noah, you also left your door unlocked."

"I thought you were going out of town with Mike?"

"He got sick, plus I came over to apologize for the other night." Rafael looked at Liv in confusion. "Oh you don't know? Liv kissed me." Tony had a smirk on his face.

"Ok in my defense, you kissed me first."

"You kissed back," Rafael felt his heart crack. _They kissed and she didn't have the nerve to tell him? Now what? Was this just a one night stand? Was this only because Tony wasn't here and he was?_

"To be fair," Rafael stood up, "you guys were dating at the time." This pissed Tony off.

"No shit we were dating, hell technically we still are dating but then I walk in on this shit?"

"Shh, Noah's sleeping," Rafael took a step toward Tony to calm him down. But Tony wouldn't have any of it. He shoved Rafael but Rafael shoved him right back.

"Guys that's enough! My two year old son is sleeping in his room and I don't want to have him wake up to this!"

"You're right, Liv," Tony agreed, "Let's take this outside."

"You're joking," Rafael scoffed, "absolutely not."

"Why not, Barba. You've been wanting to hit me since the day Liv and I started dating." Which wasn't a complete lie, but he wouldn't hit Tony at Liv's place.

"No, Tony, I'm not going to hit you. We're going to sit down and talk about this like adults." But Tony wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. His fist made contact with Rafael's nose and immediately drew blood. Now Rafael was pissed. He hated being hit in the face, especially what happened after his father. He was in a blind rage when he staggered to his feet and hit Tony right back. Liv attempted to pull Rafael off him but he just kept going. Liv finally managed to pull Rafael off Tony and started to examine his nose. Tony still laid on the floor moaning in agony.

"I think it's broken," Liv said as she touched his nose, he flinched at the contact.

"No, it's fine."

"Rafael you're just saying that so you don't have to go to the hospital."

"No, Liv no hospitals, please, you know how I feel about them." He was getting annoyed by the sounds Tony was making. He turned to him, "Get up you pussy and get the hell out!" Not chancing being hit by Rafael again, he made his way out rather quickly.

"Rafael, we really need to get this looked at."

"Liv, I'm fine, really."

"If you don't you're risking permanent damage. Plus, it won't stop bleeding."

"What about Noah? Don't wake him up for my sake."

"I'll call Lucy, she's can watch him until we get back." Rafael reluctantly agreed, he really did hate hospitals, the look and the smell gave him chills.

 **Mercy Hospital: 10:00 PM**

The hospital was slow, considering it was a Saturday night. Liv checked Rafael in while he sat with a blood soaked wash cloth held up to his nose. When she was finished, she sat down next to him, he seemed distant all of a sudden.

"What's wrong?" She really hoped Tony didn't mess anything up.

"Other than a broken nose, nothing."

"Rafael please, talk to me." He hesitated before telling her.

"You guys kissed?"

"Rafael it was awful. It wasn't anything like yours," he cracked a smile, "look, I'm done with Tony. He just isn't the one."

"And I am?"

"Yes. I've been thinking about that a lot and I have concluded that you are the right man for me. Noah adores you and you adore Noah. You're sweet, kind, and protective. I love that about you, Rafi." He felt his cheeks get hot and looked at her.

"Even with a throbbing nose you manage to make me feel better." She took ahold of his free hand as they waited to be called back.

The doctor took out the x rays of Rafael's nose and shook his head, "Yep that's definitely broken." Rafael groaned and rolled his eyes. "We're going to have to put it back into place." His eyes were wide in panic.

"What do you mean put it back into place?"

"I'm going to take the broken part of your nose and put it back where it belongs." The doctor looked at live, she smiled and nodded. "You the wife?" They both blushed at the very flattering question but something they unfortunately said no to. "Ok well whoever you are, you're going to want to hold his hand. I'll tell you right now, this will hurt like a bitch and it won't be pretty. I'll be right back, I'm going to get another guy to hold your head."

"How many people does it take to do this?" Rafael asked Liv nervously.

"Apparently three. But don't worry, it'll be over before you know it," she took ahold of his hand. The doctors came back in ready to go. He first put cotton up his nose which drew more blood, then he positioned his hands exactly where they needed to be. The doctor behind him was holding his head as still as possible while Liv was hold his hand as tight as possible.

"You ready, Rafael?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," he shut his eyes about to embrace whatever was coming next. Liv squeezed his hand, reassuring him she wasn't going anywhere. He quickly snapped Rafael's nose to the left which made him let out a blood-curdling scream. He was left hunched over holding his nose in pain.

"All done!" He had half the mind to punch the doctor too for making him scream like that in front of Liv who was trying to hold back a laugh. "Put ice on it and protect it as much as you can. It needs time to heal." He nodded and looked at Liv who had a hard time keeping a serious face.

"What's so funny," he laughed.

"Never have I ever heard you scream like that, counsellor."

"Ha-ha very funny," he got up and kissed her gently. _He didn't care if she kissed Tony, all he did care about was this moment right now. That she was kissing him instead of that asshole. He wanted this bad, he wanted her and everything that came with her._

 **A/N I know this was a shorter chapter but there will be more to come! That I can promise!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N I decided to write another chapter, so why not?(: YES THIS CHAPTER IS THE ONE RATED M SO BE PREPARED(:**

Chapter 8

When they got back to Liv's apartment, Lucy was half asleep on the couch watching some documentary on Netflix. Liv grabbed Rafael out some ice to put on his nose, he looked at her in disapproval and she gave him the same exact look.

"Doctors orders," she chuckled. He rolled his eyes and reluctantly took the ice and put it on his golf ball sized nose. She went in the living room to tell Lucy it was ok for her to go home.

"Thank you very much, Lucy. I really appreciate this," Rafael told her.

"Anytime, Mr. Barba. Hope your nose feels better." He nodded his head as she walked out the door. With the ice still on his nose, he found a spot on the couch beside Liv and put his arm around her. She turned to him and just stared, thinking what it would be like to come home to this man every day.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"My thoughts aren't worth a penny, Raf." She leaned in and kissed him. "Let's pick up where we left off," Rafael gave no argument. He turns his head to deepen the kiss while she fingers through his hair. She feels his hand wonder up her back pulling her closer to him while her hand trails on his leg, feeling him hard as a rock. The first kiss was passionate but this one was back and it was more passionate than ever.

The couch wasn't much help at all, every time they tried to get closer to each other, they got more awkwardly positioned. Olivia finally realizes that this obviously isn't the right place but it sure as hell is the right time. She stood up, holding out her hand but Rafael is hesitant to take it.

"Are you sure about this, I don't want to do anything you don't…"

"Rafael, please just shut your mouth for once and come with me." He sure as hell wasn't going to put up an argument then.

The door to Oliva's bedroom shuts and as soon as it does, she finds her lips back on his. Their bodies pressing together as she frantically tries to pull off his shirt but finds it's easier said than done. He already has her shirt off and started to undo her bra with one hand. _Ok, he shouldn't be good at that, why is he good at that?_ But she didn't care his touch set her skin on fire. She finally managed to get his shirt off and threw it on the floor. Now there they were, skin to skin, lips to lips. He laid her down on her bed, hand trailing up her stomach, then he hit something. A scar. He immediately stopped what he was doing and backed away, Liv looking very confused. _Did she do something wrong? What the hell?! Was he just going to leave her there "in the mood". But that wasn't it at all. He knew what the scars were from and felt awful. He knew what he'd done to her, he tried so hard to make her forget about Lewis but now he just brought all the memories back._

"Oh my God, Liv I'm so sorry. I didn't…" _Oh no, here we go again. She hated when people walked around on eggshells around her, treated her like she was broken. But no, Lewis was not and I repeat NOT going to ruin anything tonight._

"Rafael, please. We've been through this before. What Lewis did was on him, not you. There was nothing you could've done. I want this, I want you. You really don't know how long I've waited for this night with you." Rafael just stood and took her beauty in. No matter what, he thought she was the most gorgeous woman he's ever seen. "So please, come back here. Unless….you don't… I understand, we don't have-" He laid beside her, looked at her straight in the eye and gave her the most stern look he's ever given someone.

"Olivia Benson, I want this," he kissed her slowly, sensually, and gently. He ran his tongue along her bottom lip, begging to enter. She grants him entrance and their tongues don't fight for dominance but tangle. He got on top of her, trying to not hit his nose on anything. She fumbled with his belt buckle as he makes quick work at her yoga pants and panties. Again, he had her clothes off while she still fumbled with his belt.

"Why the fuck do you wear so many clothes?" He smiles and undid his buckle and clumsily took of his pants. Her bare breasts on his on his chest sets them both on fire. He again slides his hand up her stomach and onto her breast which she lets out a small moan to.

"Sensitive, sergeant?"

"Fuck off," she shut him up by pulling his hair back into a kiss. She guides her hand down to his boxers, taking them off revealing his impressive erection which she grabbed. He's on the verge of pain but insists he takes his time. He teased her by trailing kisses down her body, stopping at her breast to gently bite, while his hand finds the right spot through her curls. He gently circles it while her nails dug into his back. She arches into him trying to muffle the noises coming from deep inside her.

She shutters into him and asks herself why the fuck she waited this long. If he keeps doing what he's doing, it'll be over before it even started. She grabbed onto his hair and pulled him up to make eye contact. "I need you, like now."

"But, I'm just getting started."

"Well, I need you to finish what you started." He gave her a smirk and positioned himself between her legs. He was propped up on his elbow, gazing into her eyes then rolling them closed as he guided himself inside her. They move in unison trying not to make too much noise, his free hand on her hip stilling her.

"Wait a second," he stopped. She rolled her eyes, _what could be so fucking important that he had to stop now?!_ "It's been a very, very long time since I've done this and I don't want it to be over…too soon…" She knew exactly how he felt, she pulled him into the most sensual kiss he's ever got in his life.

He moved slowly at first, slowly kissing her neck which drove her crazy. They can't take it much longer, they've waited for this moment for a very long time and now the time has come. He thrusted into her fast and hard, she moving right with him. He felt her walls tighten around him, she bit down on his bare skin, muffling the loud moan that protruded from her lips.

"I'm-I'm gonna…"

"Don't stop, Rafael." The sound of his name coming from her mouth set him over the edge.

"Protection….don't have…"

"Don't stop, Rafael." That's all he needed to hear, he crashed over the edge.

"Dios mio, Liv." They laid there, just staring at each other in adoration. He laid down beside her, holding her in his arms while she rested her head against his chest. She could feel his heart racing, still. She turned to him and looked him in the eyes.

"I love you, Rafael. I'm sorry if it's too soon but I do, I love you." He kissed her gently.

"And I love you, Olivia Benson. Always have and always will."


	9. Authors Note

**A/N. I am thinking about continuing this in a different story. What do you guys think? Maybe give me some ideas of what you guys want to see. Let me know in the reviews!**


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